﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿Lexicon of Disse﻿﻿nt ﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿

"THE OTHER SINGAPORE STORY"( TOSS SERIES)” 17th Solo Show by Tang Mun Kit The Substation, Singapore; 11-21 Apr 2013 When Tang Mun Kit approached me to look at his new series of work I did not suspect what he was going to show me would be anything surprising. But they were both kind of expected from an old guard of the avant-garde, within the context of our local contemporary art context. At the same time they gain one’s attention as fresh flowers of the “revolution” if ever there was one. And especially so in the characteristic content of the works themselves that appear to give us what I would like to call a ‘lexicon of dissent’. I am using these words with careful caution. There is a fragile tendency of arousing reactions of fear and awe if not anger and suspicion. After all these are key words bode with radicalism and ominous foolhardiness. Together with words like ‘revolution’ and ‘protest’ or ‘political consciousness’ often stereotypically read and seen to be loaded with ‘rebellious’ references and to instigate the violent side of discontent and disobedience, too easily dismissed and tagged together with hysterically mob action asking for the disruption if not overthrow of the status quo. However we forget how dissent and revolution in peaceful contemplation via the quiet nature of artists like Tang Mun Kit are structurally considered, intellectually rational approaches that are responsible application of art practices based on facts and researches that are valid cultural aspects in our society with claims for a democratic system of inventing community and identity under a constitutionally sovereign state we all belong to and gaining maturity, refinement and sophistication. These terms may come across as hard-core or extreme positions of idealism and romanticism to those who cynically and too easily dismiss them as futile or uncalled for interventions and transgressions. However in the works by Tang Mun Kit these ironic images of plain sincerity, while displaying a light hearted stand with bold references to dissent and revolution are made with persistent intentions to remind ourselves that these are the realistic appeals of an artist for alternatives within the cultural contexts. They are essentially the very values embedded in our foundations at the birth of our nation. In fact they are necessary elements in for the motivation of individuals to uphold social integrity with a willful desire in activating opinionated personal as well as social changes with good intentions. All the more so in a democratic society with a lob- sided parliamentary representation almost devoid of any effective opposition voices that our shining example of economic prowess is punctured by the embarrassment of being labeled as “democratic dictatorship”. Unfortunately many historical proclamations for revolution had brought on too much suffering and pain instead of the promise of liberation and happiness. My loose use of the word with as light hearted as I often tried perhaps unsuccessfully to carry off perfectly is in fact deeply felt whilst looking at the simple minimal drawings, printed in ink of Tang’s new series. It is with my eyes wide and my heart clearly ready to embrace the possibility of being misunderstood that in seriousness I addressed Tang’s new works in due regard. Entitled: "THE OTHER SINGAPORE STORY"(TOSS SERIES)”, tongue in cheek pairing of the acronym “TOSS” to the telling of another side of our history as if decided by a toss of the coin. The works exuded a cool attitude of Tang giving us a masterly twist in the more positive vein of those who see the possible recovery and reclaiming the revolutionary attitude of peaceful acts of civilized play by manifesting our consciousness in art and other cultural work. A play done in consideration of our human ability to discuss opposite points of contention in refined language and intellectual debates by way of civilized behavior devoid of hysterical reactions and emotionally charged sentimental anxieties. Ours is so much a straight-jacketed society that disapproves of non-conformism, deeply intolerant towards oppositional if not alternative perspectives. So much so that any sign of deviance or non conformism of any slight difference to that accepted or deemed to expose opposing voices or stance are quickly frowned on if not given the boot from the rest of the silent majority. Hence even if one were merely giving an honest opinion that differs from one mainstream view that is perhaps in line with the status quo, we quicken unto haste at pointing a judgmental finger of disapproval leaning on its negative pose advising repentance and rehabilitation. How much of our daily lives is based on the behavior and social decorum we picked up at home, in schools and in our places of work. Even that what we create have a tendency of didactic that mirrors even the superstructures of society that we in fact question. Such that in order to reflect or critically analyze we tend to also repeat if not replicate that thought process from which we grew up in, learnt and were educated from the schools we were sent to, trained under strict disciplinary instructions while in the military. The images and words that Tang had so systematically put together appears to be starkly respectful of the spaces that remain untouched by his careful placement of printed letters to form words around the small but precisely drawn images. They have lightness about them almost akin to that of Chinese ink paintings. The sensitively drawn draftsmanship in place of bamboo brushes are perhaps relevant skills of a technologically advanced society that also hints of Tang’s engineering training before becoming a full time artist. In contrast the images of Chinese ink paintings often treated representations by way of spontaneous renditions imbued with nuances rather than that of directly copying the forms of real life itself. That the works were meticulously copied with slight changes from an earlier first draft gave one the urging necessary consideration of viewing them as products of a serious researcher with heavy zealousness of a missionary, no doubt with an ironic playfulness too. The untouched spaces gives one the feeling of vastness when one look comparatively at the master landscape paintings of old, with its Taoist philosophical perspective of human being only a little creature in the vast universal cosmos. However for Tang, the blank spaces may also refer to the Singapore island citizen’s envious longing and desire for open spaces of a larger country. Singapore when at first gaining independence from colonial British rule in 1963 had been part of a larger federation of states but by the twist of historical fate is now a burgeoning overcrowded megacity that is also an island city-state that is also a nation country by itself. In her full engagement in economic development next to nothing invested in cultural capital resulting in a deprived state of cultural research and development (R & D) in technological speak. Its rapid material and economic growth is starkly contrasted by the emptiness and void of an equally paced sophistication of contemporary art and cultural appreciation. But alas, its lack of dedication to her own cultural identity had become symptomatic of a lack that gave her various derogatory if not self critically shameful names in the past such as ‘cultural desert’ or ‘Disneyland with Capital punishment’, or ‘cultural orphans with no historical memory’. With economic wealth Singapore now unveils multi- million investments to motivate a surge into becoming a cultural arts center of the region if not the world. What Tang is doing does not seem to be so prevalent amongst the new generation of sophisticated, well informed and traveled artists making their annual pilgrimage to the triennials and biennales, as if they were the ”Art Mecca’s” around the world. In order to compare notes and double-check who or where they stand as artists in the so called ‘contemporary art world’. Better educated and suavely sitting confidently in Starbucks or trendy pubs together with the Nuevo riche sophisticates who probably would mistakenly see Mr. Tang ‘s new works as old school naiveté or below the radar of the elite “realm of the state of the art world chic” or of not even a fighting chance to enter the art paradise promised by the art mafia clique, categorically supposed to be of liberal ideology yet in reality a complicit partners if not willing bed mates to the tyrants of global capitalism. As if we need the reassurance of our former colonial masters of being on par in sophisticated and refined cultural understanding and appreciation. Sadly after neglecting poetry and art in the research and development of our highly rated academia of our own we seem to believe like every other product our purses will take care of it. Despite all the hyped up propaganda, fanfares and circuses, Tang Mun Kit belongs to the quiet artists warriors in every society who retained stolid convictions and dare I say soldier on in gutsy resilience, a willingness to stalwartly explore new possibilities in directions of art making while using traditional medium. Not only in terms of revising the perception of art production still within the realm of tangible objects but also based on an in-depth self reflection and continuum of his individual growth, un-ashamedly linked to his own background and sincerely treading on solid ground rooted to his home ground. In the images and words of contradictory policies and political slogans that we were bombarded with while grow up and growing old we learn to laugh with him the absurdity implicated of another side of the story of success and loss. In the process we are able to see the importance of Tang Mun Kit voicing his own political convictions so blatantly without twitching his eyelids; knowing that it may cause discomfort not only on the unsuspecting audiences but also on those powers that be who remain the deputies of state structures that dominates the trajectory of cultural evolution in a sadly un-free state of so called liberal democracy all around the world. One cannot deny that the artist is prolific and consistently productive. How else shall one describe someone having his 17th solo exhibition, spanning 22 years beginning in 1991? Over the years Tang had been courageous and relentless in embarking on explorations using a wide range of different media albeit based on media that no doubt artists in Asia still heavily rely on not only as vehicles to create products for market consumption but also as conduits of critical thinking and as creation of spaces and platforms for understanding less frequently heard oppositional voices and ideas indeed of valid dialectical necessity in a world that is increasingly complacent and hopelessly forgetting to rally for our pledged allegiance towards building a society of real democracy, justice, equality and freedom . Surely it is a call that we in our apathy must learn is the healing process needed in order to elevate our low self-esteem in being indexed as a society of complaint and comparatively a prosperous one with unhappy people. Tang Mun Kit comes across as a soft-spoken gentle person yet his is a sharp informed intellectually engaged mind. Over the years he made works that voraciously openly made poignant coded visual statements that were politically charged by a critical opposition to the authorities. The works shown are stripped down images that provide a visual lexicon of dissent. Each tag line inspired the images, clear, concise and yet provoking questions of disagreement into plain black and white with a punch of grey humour. As an artist of mature seriousness, Tang Mun Kit had consistently developed a personal language and vocabulary that a hard- pressed Singapore audience may not be able to match with open and fair appreciation. And yet Tang comes across as one with decisive integrity and self will. Through all the years of persistent struggle Tang’s offering is a tough weathered body of works that will shine just as much in earnest and with sincerity whether he is exhibiting in the humble galleries of any alternative spaces of disarray or a neat pavilion in the prestigious halls of our dearly missed Venice Biennale. Lee Wen 2013